Number 10 Downing Street Fails to Be Capable of the Task

Sir Keir Starmer traveled to Wales' northern region on Thursday to announce the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to promoting answers for the UK's energy needs. Rather, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing journalists that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary’s ambitions earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a microcosm of what his premiership has now become overall. On the one hand, he wants his administration to be doing, and to be perceived as performing, important things. On the other hand, he is unable to achieve this due to the way he – and, partly, the nation as a whole – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister cannot transform the political culture single-handedly, but he can do something about his own role in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the government's core much more effectively than he currently does. Should he achieve this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his government than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in No 10

Some of the problems in Downing Street relate to personnel. The interpersonal relations of any No 10 regime are hard to know well from outside. But it seems obvious that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Perhaps he is not really interested. However, he must to up his game, not do things slowly or incompletely.

• He hesitated about giving the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He appointed Sue Gray his chief of staff, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He brought Darren Jones in from the Treasury as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

Every prime minister spend too much time abroad and on foreign affairs, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time talking to MPs and listening to the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir worsens by doing it poorly. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party activists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The most significant problems, though, are systemic. It would be beneficial to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s spring 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His inability to address these matters last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal performance of the Labour administration suggests recommendations like restructuring the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of top official and civil service head, are now urgent.

The dominant political role of prime ministers far outdistances the assistance provided to them. As a result, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or ignored.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of previous shortcomings along with the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this failure is Sir Keir personally.